Flush tank assembly



Nov. 12, 1963 R. w. DowNlN 3,110,036

FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 1963 R. w. DowNlN FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 29, 1960 m, W L

ATTORNEYS Nov. 12, 19-63* Filed Feb. 29, 1960 R. w. DowNlN 3,110,036

FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY5 United States Patent O 3,110,036 FLUSH TANK ASSEMBLY Roland W. Downin, Port Deposit, Md., assigner to Yi/glaud Company, lne., Port Deposit, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed Fel). 29, 195i), Ser. No. 11,880 17 Claims. (El. 4 41) This invention relates to a novel assembly Ifor liush tanks of the type in `general use as a bathroom fixture. Apparatus of this type have been more or` less frozen as to design for many years in a general combination comprising an inlet pipe for valve, a iloat on a lever arm which opens and closes the inlet valve in a gradual manner, an overllow pipe to prevent overrunning of the iiush tank, a llush valve which seats on a bottom outlet under pressure of the water head lin the tank, and a hand lever connecting with the flush Valve to lift it and thus break the water head pressure on it to permit it to float freely until the tank has been emptied, followed by the re-seating of the llush valve in closing relation and reiilling of the tank due to dropping of the inlet valve controlling float.

Although in standard use over a long period, this flushr tank arrangement has nevertheless been attended with many shortcomings with much in the way of improvement left to be desired. For example, in the conventional system, the parts are numerous and consist wholly of metal. As a result, early corrosion Ais common, leading to leaks and malfunctioning, as well as a short life for the system. In addition, the assembly is complex and delicate in its settings, often proving too formidable for the home repairman, and therefore requiring die services of a plumber in emergencies. For example, a common complaint as -to existing systems has to do with the upright wire stem on the flush valve ball, which has a sliding connection with the manual lever and operates in an eyelet guide. This element is extremely sensitive in adjustment and frequently jams on the upstroke, the downstroke, or both. To complicate the problem, the average householder is usually at a loss to know just what must be done to restore normal operation. This malfunctioning -is evenmore serious when the degree of maladjustment is small since this may be undetected with a serious waste of water resulting.

In addition, the existing inlet valve arrangements are faulty in that they involve repeated closure of the seat by the same surfaces, leading to early leakage, this being aggravated by the fact Ithat the seating is a gradual process.

By the system of the present invention I have contrived to overcome the foregoing recited defects by providing an assembly in which the parts are non-corrosive, few in number and easy of installation and removal, and in which the need for periodic adjustment has been eliminated. In addition, my novel system lhas provided consistent functioning for the llush valve float, and besides improving the general functioning of the inlet valve, has at one and the same time introduced a snap action to this valve and positively removed the threat of water waste by removing the complete dependence of the inlet valve on the inlet control float.

It is therefore among the objects of the present invention to provide a flush tank system in which corrosion and water waste are eliminated, and malfunctioning minimized. lOther objects are to provide a system which is' simple in structure and design, few in parts, easy of installation and removal, and certain in operation.

These and other objects which will be readily apparent, not only to those skilled in the pertinent art, but to the ygeneral public as well, are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which is described Fice in the accompanying specification, and illustrated inl the drawings, in which: l

lFIGURE 1 is a iront elevational view of a llush tank,

broken away, in part, to show the interior mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a detail taken on the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 isl a sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the tlush valve tloat and its guide cage of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a ltop planrview of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, sectional view of a detail along the line 7 7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged, .sectionalview of a detail along the line 8 8 of FIGURE l;V

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9 9 or" vFIGURE 5;

FIGURE l() is an enlarged, exploded, top plan view of the split clamp ring;

FIGURE 11 is a rfront elevational View of the rin-g of FIGURE 10; and

FIGURE 12 is a side :elevational View of the ring of FIGURE 10.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, there is shown, in FIGURE l, a conventional flush tank I2 preferably of ceramic material with porcelain coating, and a removable top cover 14, with openings for the inlet pipe and the outlet pipe in the usual locations in the bottom. Thus, the opening for the inlet pipe is in the left rear corner of the tank, and the inlet pipe 16 of flexible tubing such as copper, plastic or the like is anchored in the iitting 18 at the opening, and is secured by exterior fitting 20, acting as a clamping nut. The flexible inlet pipe 16 is bent in an arc in order to locate the supply |valve centrally of the tank for its novel mode of actuation by the float leverlarm. It is a further consequence of this arrangement that the supply valve is in close proximity to the overliow pipe. The supply valve, indicated generally by the numeral 2.2, and later to be described in detail, carries an elbow 24 through which it is attached to the end of inlet pipe 16 by the usual clamp nut 25 in a manner to hang downwardly, and threadedly carries at its lower end a rfeed pipe 28 leading to a point near the bottom of the tank, for quiet and splashless filling, according to the usual practice in the art.

As best seen in FIGURE 9, the overflow pipe Sii and the outllow valve seat unit 32 are integral parts of a single casting, which is preferably of brass. The valve seat unit is a pipe of relatively large :diameter occupying the central opening in the bottom of the flush tank, and having an interior, stop llange 34 engaging a gasket washer 36, and 'having a threaded, lower end receiving wall, and which may be snapped in place by means of a slight external bead 46 received in an annular recess in the inner wall of pipe 32, or held by any other suitable means. The importance of this feature is considerable, since damage to the valve seat, through corrosion, or as by dropping tools, for instance, is common, and results in serious leakage. Heretofore this has required replacement of the entire metal unit, including the overllow pipe.

The overow pipe 30 rises vertically from a lateral eX- tension 48 on pipe 32, the said extension being hollow so as to discharge water in the overflow pipe to the outlet pipe. Overow pipe 30 has a rectangular opening 5t) receiving an integral, protruding lug 52 on the supply valve 22 by which means the latter is anchored in place, when the lug is secured, as by a cotter pin 54. In the region of the hole Sil a substantial portion of the upper end of overflow pipe 39 is cut away to provide clearance for the diversion pipe S6 carried by the lower end of supply valve 22 and delivering into the overllow pipe, the purpose of which is to prevent back-feeding into the supply system.

vThe lush ball valve 42, which has a thickened bottom S, or is otherwise weighted to prevent its turning over when not seated, has an upper lug 60 through which it is suspended from a chain 62. For lifting the ball off its scatto discharge the contents of the tank, chain 62 is anchored on a cross arm 64 secured to the inner arm 66 of the yusual hand lever system having an exterior handle 65 and bushed in a iitting '70 on the tank.

Lifting Vof ball 42 from its seat removes the pressure on the ball, which is thereupon urged upward by its buoyancy. Since the ball must automatically return tov be spread so as to be mounted in place or removed withy out necessity for removing any other part. The cage, composed, on its side, of a series of vertical panels 74 and a central horiznotal band '76 has a horizontal top ange 78 and a horizontal bottom ange S9. Again referring to FIGURE 6, it will be seen that the end flanges 78, S0 and the central band 76 of the cage terminate short of semi-circular form, and are joined by strap sections S2 functioning as hinges, by means of which the cage may be spread to the form shown in broken lines, or assume a circular form surrounding the overilow pipe when the cage is closed. Preferably the cage will have the open form in its normal, unstressed position, as molded. Flexible tongues 34 on strap hinges 82 serve to center them about the overflow pipe, and also to permit adapation to various sizes of pipes while avoiding looseness of t. The cage is secured against upward vertical movement by means of a series of tongues 86 extending downwardly Y from the lower flange Si) and radially inward, and engaging beneath a shouldered portion 88 at the top of pipe'32.

After the open cage has been slipped down behind the overliow pipe 30 it is wrapped around this pipe and the main overflow pipe 32 with the tongues S6 engaging beneath the shoulder 88 of pipe 32, and the split anges are brought into Contact along the line 90 (FIGURES 2 and 6). Thus mounted, the cage is secured in place by a pair of straps 92 with perforations by which they are forced into frictional engagement with small, headed knobs 94 formed on the outer sides of those vertical panels 74 of the cage defining the parting line. The cage is further secured on the top flanges 78 by means of a pair of plastic washers 96, force fitted over heads 98 'formedtby the mating of hemispherical components on the respective ends of the llange forming the parting line 9G. As seen in FIGURE 7 the end llanges are provided with integral dowels 97. All of these fastening means are easily applied and easily removable, even after repeated use.

The main oat system, controlling the supply valve, is mounted on and carried entirely by the supply Valve. The latter, as seen in FIGURE 3, consists of a housing 109 with a central bore 102 having an internal, annular, transverse flange 104 bevelled to form a seat for ball 105. Journalled to the walls of housing 1643 is a plastic shaft 10S having an eccentric 110 adapted to contact and lift ball 196 on rotation of the said shaft. Exteriorly of valve housing 10b, the shaft 108 has an integral, cupshaped'head, or knob 112,'A which supports a oat lever arrn 114 in keyed relation, whereby tilting of the arm tric or cam 1lb. Couphng of the arm 114 to knob 112 is accomplished through a splined connection which communicates a turning torque to the valve shaft and which is slanted with respect to the turning axis (i.e. frustoconical), to prevent separation of the parts. Thus, the splined side wall 116 of the cavity in knob 112 Iis greater in diameter at the bottom of the cavity than at .its rim, and this Ywall receives, in snugly mating relationship, the complementary, splined outer ends of a two piece clamping ring 118 in which the iloat lever 11 f 1s supported. The split ring, which is shown Ain detail 1n lIG URES l0 to l2, is composed of identical half sect1ons, each having a semi-cylindrical central portion 12) which engages the tubular oat lever 114, a semi-cylindrical end shank 122 with circular ribs 121i and a half-tube 126, having at its outer end a series of splines 12S etxending over a portion only of the outer face of the half tube to facilitate entry into the cavity of the Valve knob 112. Splines 12S have, of course, a conical slant complementary to the splines in knob 112. l

Coupling of the iloat lever arm to the supply valve is' accomplished by bringing the clamp halves together around the' lever arm, inserting the splined end into the valve knob and applying a metallic, looped keeper 13% between the ribs 12.4 on the outer shank parts 122. This.

manner of application is enabled by properly dimensionine the central band of the split clamp so that its inner diameter when the two halves are in full Contact is less than the outer diameter of the lever tube 114, and the components on the splined end, when in contact clear the outer opening in knob 112 for ready insertion.v Such cleanance is also raided by the absence of splines in the regions adjacent the contact line of the tube halves. With the splines in place in the cavity of knob 112 the outer shank halves 122 are pressed into contact, so that the tube halves 126 separate, bringing the splines into mating engagement and thus locking the clamp to the knob 112, and the connection is secured by snapping the keeper 13@ over the ribs 124. As in the case of the v cage, the process is readily reversible for disassembly. Assembly of the clamp elements is further facilitated by providing on the two contact surfaces of each half of the splined tube of the clamp ring an integral dowel 132 and a dowel-'receiving cavity 134.

For a main float, in lieu of the usual hollow, metal spheroid which is subject to corrosion and leakage, I have provided, on the end of the Ivalve leverV arm k114, la rectangular solid 13o Vof suitable low density foam plastic. is attached to the outer end of the rocker arm 114 by a brass screw or bolt 133 engaging a threaded, solid, plastic insert litt) in the float.

In a very important aspect of my invention, there is provided within rocker Itube 1F14 a freely rolling met-al ball 142 retained in the tube by screw 13S at one end of the tube and by fa plastic pin |144 Iat tne other end. Pin and screw 133 each have a surrounding rubber sleeve 146 to absorb the shock of the rolling ball in order to obviate noise and wear. It will be seen that after the lloat 1.36 has raised the rocker tube to fa position slightly beyond the horizontal, the ball 142 will roll to the innerend of the tube, thus imparting tothe valve shaft 10S and cam 11@ a relatively quick iinal movement which permits the valve ball 1% to seat with rapidity and consequently with certainty. The rocker tube comes to rest upon contact with the terminal, transverse arm 64 of the hand-actuated lever, and in this position the supply valve control is removed from dependence upon the float 136 and no opening of the supply valve is possible until the weight of the ball has been overcome by operation of outer handle 6b which causes arm `64 to raise the inner end of tube 114. This action lifts ball 42 through chain 62 to empty the tank and also raises Ithe rocker tube toV a point where the ball 142 rolls to the outer end of the tube permittingthe oat 136 to follow the level of the Water downward lifting the ball ld in the supply valve from its seat to refill the tank.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that I have provided a novel flush tank system which includes among its advantages all of those enumerated as among the objects sought, and in other recitals above. ln addition, the ball `feature in the supply valve provides an antiysyphon function in that it will, upon occurrence of any back-suction into the supply system, promptly seat at the top of the valve chamber to block back flow of water. Another feature is that the system is operable at any available pressure by simple adjustment of the splined connection to the proper angle. The ball feature in the supply valve avoids repeated seating of the same surfaces and thus brings about long life and certainty of operation.

ln a generalization of advantages of my system, there are no washers, packing or troublesome l'mkages, the parts are corrosion-proof, the arrangement is simple, rugged, trouble free, fast, leak proof, silent, and saving of water, doubly vigilant 'm ythe matter of anti-syphoning, and operable at any supply pressure. No sensitive adjustments are involved, and no special tools Iare necessary.

While a certain preferred embodiment has been shown and described, the invention is not to be ydeemed as limited thereby, since various modifications and equivalents will be readily apparent to those skilled in the pertinent art, in the light of this disclosure, and the invention should not, therefore, be deemed as limited except insofar as shall appear from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a flush tank system having an outlet pipe with upstanding overflow pipe, an inlet supply fitting and a manually operable lever; a supply pipe leading from said fitting to said overflow pipe, a supply valve carried by said supply pipe, anchored to said overflow pipe and having a drip pipe leading into said overflow pipe, and a downwardly extending supply tube, check means in said valve comprising a ball and a seat therefor, a shaft in the supply valve including a cam arranged to'unseat said ball, a rocker tube enclosing a freely rolling weight means and having an angularly adjustable, splined connection with said shaft, a low density, solid float carried on one end of said tube, a split, plastic cage removably anchored to, and secured in surrounding relation to said outlet pipe, a tubular plastic insert in said outlet pipe forming a valve seat, a hollow ball weighted on its lower side contained within said cage for vertical movement to and from said valve seat insert, a chain secured at one end of said hollow ball, and a lateral arm on the inner end of said manually operable lever to which the other end of said chain is attached, said lateral arm lying in the path of movement of the end of said rocker tube opposite said solid float, whereby to limit rocking of said tube on cutting off of the water supply and to lift said tube to resume water supply simultaneously with lifting of said hollow ball from its seat.

2. ln a flush tank system having an outlet pipe with a ball valve seat and an upstanding overflow pipe, an inlet supply fitting and a manually operable lever; a supply pipe leading from said fitting to said overflow pipe, a supply valve carried by said supply pipe and anchored to said overflow pipe, check means in said valve comprising a ball and a seat therefor, a shaft in the supply valve including a cam arranged to unseat said ball, a rocker tube enclosing a freely roiling weight means and having an angularly adjustable, splined connection with said shaft, a low-density, solid float carried on one end of said tube, a split, plastic cage removably anchored to, and secured in surrounding relation to said outlet pipe, a hollow ball weighted on its lower side contained within said cage for vertical movement to and from said outlet pipe valve seat, a chain secured at one end to said hollow ball, and a lateral arm on the inner end of said manually operable lever to which the other end of said( chain is attached, said lateral arm lying in the path of movement of the end of said rocker tube opposite said solid float whereby to limit rocking of said tube on cutting off of the water supply, and to lift said tube to resume water supply simultaneously with lifting of said hollow ball from its seat.

3. In a flush tank system having an outlet pipe with a ball valve seat and an upstanding overflow pipe, an inlet supply fitting and a manually operable lever; a supply pipe leading from said fitting to said overiiow pipe, a supply valve carried by said supply pipe adjacent said overflow pipe, check means in said Valve comprising a ball and a seat therefor, a shaft in the supply valve including a cam arranged to unseat said ball, a hollow rocker arm enclosing a freely rolling weight means and having an angularly adjustable splined connection with said shaft, a fioat carried on one end of said rocker arm, a split, plastic cage removably anchored to and secured in surrounding relation to said outlet pipe, a hollow ball weighted on its lower side contained within said cage for vertical movement to and from said outlet pipe valve seat, a chain secured at one end to said hollow ball, and a lateral arm on the inner end of said manually operable lever to which the other end of said chain is attached, said lateral arm lying in the path of movement of the end of said rocker arm opposite said float whereby to limit movement of said rocker arm on cutting off of the water supply, and to lift said rocker arm to resume water supply simultaneously with lifting of said hollow ball from its seat.

4. In a flush tank system having an outlet pipe with a ball valve seat and an upstauding overflow pipe, an inlet supply tting and a manually operable lever; a supply pipe leading from said fitting to said overflow pipe, a supply valve carried by said supply pipe adjacent said overflow pipe, check means in said valve compirsing a ball anda seat therefor, a shaft in the supply valve including a cam arranged to unseat said ball, a hollow, rocker arm enclosing 'a freely rolling weight means and having a splined connection with said shaft, a oat carried on one end of said rocker arm, a cage anchored to said outlet pipe in surrounding relation thereto, a hollow ball contained Within said cage for vertical movement to and from said outlet pipe valve seat, a chain secured at one end of said hollow ball, and a lateral arm on the inner end of said manually operable lever to which the other end of said chain is attached, said lateral arm lying in the path of movement of the end of said rocker arm opposite said float whereby to limit movement of said rocker arm on cutting off of the water supply, and to lift said rocker arm to resume water supply simultaneously with lifting of said hollow ball from its seat.

5. ln a flush tank system having an outlet pipe with a ball valve seat and an upstanding overflow pipe, an inlet supply fitting and a manually operable lever; a supply pipe leading from said fitting to saidA overflow pipe, a supply valve carried by said supply pipe, check means in said valve comprising a ball and a seat therefor, a shaft in the supply valve including a cam arranged to unseat said ball, a hollow, rocker arm enclosing a freely rolling weight means and medially connected to said shaft, a float carried on one end of said rocker arm, a cage surrounding said outlet pipe, a spherical fioat contained within said cage, and a flexible lifting member attached to said spherical float and to said manually operable lever.

6. In a flush tank system having an outlet pipe with a ball valve seat, an upsatnding overflow pipe and a manually operable lever, a supply valve anchored to said overflow pipe, check means in said valve comprising a ball and a seat therefor, a shaft in the supply valve including a cam arranged to unseat said ball, a hollow, rocker arm enclosing a freely rolling weight means and medially connected to said shaft to rotate the shaft on rocking, a iloat carried on one end oi said rocker arm, a cage surrounding said outlet pipe, a spherical iloat contained within said cage, and a flexible lifting member attached to said spherical oat and to said manually operable lever.

7. In combination, a supply valve having check means comprising a ball and seat, a shaft in said valve having a cam adapted to unseat said ball, an external knob on said shaft having a circular cavity in its outer face with a truste-conical splined side wall of inwardly increasing diameter, a rocker tube enclosing a freely rolling weight of spherical form, a =float on one end of said tube, a twopart ring clamp surrounding said rocker tube, a tubular extension on one side or" said clamp with its outer end splined in part in a sense complementary to the splines of said knob and mating with said latter splines, an extension on the other side of said ring clamp, and a keeper on said latter extension holding the parts thereof in contact, the parts of said tubular extension being separate when said keeper is in place and said splines in mutually nested relation.

8. in combination, a supply valve having check means comprising a ball and seat, a shaft `in said valve having a cam adapted to unseat said ball, an external knob on said shaft having splines, a rocker tube enclosing a freely rolling Weight means, a oat on one end of said tube, a two-part ring clamp surrounding said rocker tube medial- 1y thereof, an extension on the clamp on one side of said tube having splines mated with the splines of said knob, an extension on the end of said clamp on the other side of said tube, and keeper means holding the parts of said extension together on the said other side of said tube.

.9. In combination, a supply valve having check means comprising a ball and seat, a shaft in said valve having a cam adapted to unseat said ball, a rocker tube enclosing a freely rolling weight means, a iloat on one end of said tube, and means attached to said shaft and to said tube medially thereof whereby rocking of said tube rotates said shaft.

10. A supply valve comprising a housing hav-ing a through passage, means in said passage providing a valve seat,` a ballV valve mating with said seat, a shaft journalled laterally of said passage, a cam on said shaft arranged to unseat said ball, and a turning knob on said shaft for connection :to a float rocker arm, said knob having a truste-conical recess in its outer face of increasing diameter inwardly of the knob, and splines in its slanting wall.

11. In combination, a clamp and cam shaft coupling comprising a two part ring clamp divided along a diameter, matching lugs extending from the opposite side of said ring and having a frusto-conical outer portion of outwardly lincreasing radius with opposite segments splined, and a cam shaft having at one end a turning knob with a frusto-conical recess in its outer face having splines in mating relation to the splines of the ring clamp.

l2. A coupling comprising a two part ring clamp divided along la diameter, matching lugs extending from the parts on each side of the ring, the matching parts on one side comprising a head with a truste-conical periphery ,of outwardly increasing diameter and splined to a limited 1S extent on each of the respective parts, and a connecting knob having a recessed face with truste-conical side wall splined in a manner to mate with the splines on said head.

13. A ring clamp and connector comprising a two part ring band divided along a diameter, and matching lugs extending from the parts on each side of the band, the matching parts on one side comprising a head with a frusto-conical periphery of outwardly increasing diameter and splined along limited segments on opposite sides of the dividing line.

14. An attachment for use in a Hush tank system having an outlet pipe and upstanding overflow pipe, including a cage comprising a pair ot semi-cylindrical sections of open-work structure with imier diameter in excees of that of the outlet pipe, a series of flexible bands joining said sections and adapted to operate as a hinge and ssume a cylindrical form surrounding `the overflow pipe when the said pair of sections are brought into conjunction, as `when surrounding the outlet pipe, headed elements on the sides of the cage parts, flexible straps with perforations for joining the parts of said cage by snap tit over said elements, headed elements on the top of said cage at the line of parting, :and snap-fastener washers to engage said latter elements.

15. An attachment for use in a flush tank system having an outlet pipe and upstanding overow pipe, including ya cage for coniining the oat ball valve of said outlet pipe comprising a pair of semi-cylindrical sections ot open-work structure with inner diameter in excess of an outlet a series of flexible bands joining said sections and adapted to operate as a hinge and :assume a cylindrical form surrounding the overflow pipe when the said pair of sections are brought into conjunction, as when surrounding the outlet pipe, and means to secure said cage lin closed position of the parts.

l6. in a cage as in claim 14, downwardly and inwardly extending fingers on the lower edges of said sections.

17. An improved guide sleeve construction for a flush tank of the type having a ball valve arranged for upward valve-opening movement along the long axis of the sleeve from a valve-closed position wherein the ball is seated on :a ilushing outlet opening at the bottom of the sleeve, comprising: A periorate sleeve divided along its long axis into at least two segments, each extending circumferentially part way around the long axis of the sleeve; means for mounting said sleeve on said tank to extend over said bottom outlet and vertically upward therefrom for valve-guiding purposes; and means for removably connecting the segments of said sleeve together to provide, when the sleeve is mounted, for the ready separation of at least one of its segments from another for valve access purposes.

Hale Apr. 12, 1927 Kass Oct. 21, 1952 

9. IN COMBINATION, A SUPPLY VALVE HAVING CHECK MEANS COMPRISING A BALL AND SEAT, A SHAFT IN SAID VALVE HAVING A CAM ADAPTED TO UNSEAT SAID BALL, A ROCKER TUBE ENCLOSING A FREELY ROLLING WEIGHT MEANS, A FLOAT ON ONE END OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT AND TO SAID TUBE MEDIALLY THEREOF WHEREBY ROCKING OF SAID TUBE ROTATES SAID SHAFT.
 15. AN ATTACHMENT FOR USE IN A FLUSH TANK SYSTEM HAVING AN OUTLET PIPE AND UPSTANDING OVERFLOW PIPE, INCLUDING A CAGE FOR CONFINING THE FLOAT BALL VALVE OF SAID OUTLET PIPE COMPRISING A PAIR OF SEMI-CYLINDRICAL SECTIONS OF OPEN-WORK STRUCTURE WITH INNER DIAMETER IN EXCESS OF AN OUTLET PIPE, A SERIES OF FLEXIBLE BANDS JOINING SAID SEC- 